Body construction



Jan. 2, 1934. D. w. voLTz BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 2l, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l Jn uen (UT/f 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 D. W. VOLTZ BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 2l, 1930 Jan. 2, 1934 NOS xm h www D. w. voLTz 1,942,315

BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 21, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 fr: verz /br y my Jan. 2', 1934.

Jan. 2, 1934. D, w. voLTz BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 21, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNTED STATES BODY CONSTRUCTION Daniel W. Volts, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Voltz Brothers, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of v Illinois Application August 2l, 1930. Serial No. 476,749

8 Claims.

This invention relates to body constructions, and more particularly to a body construct-mnembodying an arrangement providing a circulating system whereby a cooling medium may be eiTec- 5 tively circulated in the body to provide refrigeration.

Meat and other perishable produce is being distributed oy the use oi automotive trucks and other vehicles, and it is necessary that this perishable produce be refrigerated. It has been the custom in the past to provide a suitably insulated body and to provide in this body a refrigerating medium such as ice or so-called Dry Ice which is solid carbon dioxide. However, convection has been relied on to provide circulation in the body in order to eiiectively cool the produce stored therein. The disadvantages of this are many and will be readily apparent to anyone skilled in the art, and a very marked disadvantage is attendant to the use of Dry Ice, for when such a refrigerating medium is used the aerated carbon dioxide is circulated directly into the compartment to be cooled, and when the compartment is opened, to aiord access thereto, a great deal 5 of this carbon dioxide escapes, which manifestly reduces the efficiency as the escaped carbon dioxide is wasted.

While my invention is not limited to the use of Dry Ice, it may be moet advantageously used in connection with such a refrigerating medium, and the salient objects of my invention are to provide a body construction wherein the cooling medium may be circulated about the compartment to be cooled rather than in the compart- D ment; to provide an arrangement for effectively circulating the cooling medium in a manner such that all portions of the aody will be cooled in substantially equivalent amounts; to providfan arrangement which may be associated with any type of insulated body whether arranged on a truck for transportation or whether used as a stationary refrigerator in a store or the like; to provide a circulating arrangement wherein the full effect of the cooling medium will be secured; and to provide a circulating arrangement which will be of simple and economical construction and efficient in operation.

In the accompanying drawings a selected emo bodiment of my invention is illustrated, and

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of an insulated body with which a selected embodiment of my invention is associated;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view talren substantially on the line 4-4 on Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 on Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated a selected embodiment of my invention, 6 generally indicates the body with which my circulating system is associated, and while this body may be formed in any desired manner, I have shown in the accompanying drawings a body constructed in accordance with that disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 476,748, iiled August 21, 1930, to which reference may be made for the details of construction of the body. The body includes an insulated front wall '7, an insulated rear wall 8, and insulated side walls 9 and 10. A suitable facing 11 is provided on the outer surface of the body 6, which may be in the form of panels or the like, and a portion of this facing provides the roof 12 which is arranged above and spaced from the insulation 13 associated with the ceiling 14 of the body 6. The ceiling 14, the interior faces A15 and 16 of the side walls 9 and 10, the interior face 17 of the front wall 7, and the interior face 18 of the rear wall 8, are preferably formed of metal or other analogous material to provide a smooth inner surface for the compartment generally indicated by 19. The door 20 of the compartment 19 is preferably made of hard wood or the like, as best illustrated in Fig. 3. Along the side wall 9, inwardly of the inner face 15, a plurality of furring strips 21 are provided at spaced intervals, and furring strips 22 are similarly arranged inwardly of the inner face 16 of the side wall 10. Furring strips are arranged inwardly of the face 17 of the front wall 7. Mounted on the furring strips 21 is a metal plate 24. Mounted on the furring strips 22 is a metal plate 25. Mountedon the furring strips 23 is a metal plate 26. Between the furring strips 21 and the metal plate 24, compartments 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 are formed. Between the furring strips 22 and the plate 25, compartments 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 and 40, are provided, which are transversely aligned with the compartments 27 to 33, respectively. Between the furring strips 23 and the metal plate 26, are compartments 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45. The compartments 27 to 45 inclusive extend from the ceiling 14 to a metal plate 48 arranged below and spaced from the oor 20,

said compartments extending past said floor. On the rear wall 8 at the corner thereof, two compartments 46 and 47 are provided, which are substantially similar to the compartments 27 to 45, inclusive. Disposed between the floor 20 and the metal plate 48 are furring strips 49, which are aligned with the furring strips 21 and 22. The furring stripsv 49, the metal plate 48, and the door 20, dene compartments in alignment with the compartments 27 to 33, respectively. EX- tending longitudinally of the body at the medial portion thereof, is a duct 50 formed from a plurality of blocks 51 and 52, which are arranged to extend parallel to each other. Between the first two of the blocks 51 therey is an opening 53, and between the rst two of the blocks 52 there is an opening 54 which is aligned with the opening 53, and the openings 53 and 54 are intended to communicate with the compartments 27 and 34 and the compartments defined by the furring 'stripsl 49,'floo'r 20 and metal plate 48. Between the second and third of the blocks 51. there is an opening 55., and between the second and third of the blocksi52`there is an opening 56 which is aligned with the opening 55. The openings 55 and 56 communicate with the compartments 28 and 35v in the same manner as that in which the openings 53 and 54 communicate with "the com- Ypartments 27 and 34'.V The openings 55 and 56 .are Ylarger than theopeni-ngsa53 and 54.. Similarly, between .eac-h of thesucceeding pairs ci" Ylftliere. are openings 57, 58, 59 and 60, which Yrespectively communicate` with the compartments 29,' 30, 3.1- and 32. In `aligmment with the openings 57 to .60., inclusive, between each of kthe suc.- Yceeding .blocks 52, there areV openings 6.1, 62,. 63 land 64, and these openings, 6.1 to .64, respectively communicate with the compartments 36 to 39. Thefopening'57r is-.largerthan the opening 55, and vsimilarly the. opening 58. is. larger `than the opening' 57:, and each .oi the succeeding openings yis Iargerxthan the preceding opening, and' theA openings -.6^1 to. 6.4 are. similarly arranged. Openings, such asv 65, corresponding in size to the openings into.. the, duct 5.0,A are provided in the wall 24 to establish; communication between the vertically extending ducts adjacent. the. side wall 9 and thev ducts: below thea oor 20.v An` opening 66, similar torthe openings 65, and' larger than the last' of theA openings 65, establishes communication between the compartment 33 and the lasty of the compartments denne-d byl the furring strips 49., and an opening 6.7 establishes communication between the. compartment 46 and the last compartment dened by the nrring strips 49. Openings 68, corresponding to the openings 65,. establish communication between the compartments inwardly of the side wall 10 and the. compartments vdelined by the furr'mg strips 49. An opening 69, similarV to. the opening 66,. and an opening 70, corresponding. to the. opening 67, establish communication between the vcompartments 49S- and 47 and the last of Athe compartments defined bythev furring: strips 49. The last of the blocks 5:1 and 52 extend into-.the last compartment and are connected'` by a plate 71 having an opening 7.2- therein, and communication between the ducty50jr and the last of the compartments defined by the furringt strips 49 is established. to.y this opening 72. Arranged" to extend between the upper ends of the compartments; 44 and..45 and spaced below the ceiling 14, is. av plate 73. Extend-ingk longitudinally of the body 6 `above the plate'73, and disposed in an opening inthe ceiling 14, `is a duct 74. Furringl strips are disposed between the ceiling 14 and the plate 73 and serve to dene compartments in alignment with the compartments 27 to 40, inclusive, which dened compartments are similar to those .defined by the fur- 89 ring strips 49. In one side wall of the duct 74 are Vports 76, 77, 78, 79, 8l) and 81, which respectively communicate with the compartments 27 to 32, inclusive. The port 77 is larger than the port 76, and the port 78 is larger than the port 77, and so on; that is, each succeeding port is larger than the preceding port. In the other side wall of the duct 74 are ports 82, 83, 84, 85,. 86 and87, which communicate with the compartments 34 to 39, inclusive, and these ports are arranged so that each succeeding port is larger than the preceding port, and these ports 82 to 87, inclusive, are respectively aligned with the ports 76 to 81, inclusive. At the rear end of the duct 74 is a port 88 .which communicates with the last of thecompartments dened by the furring strips 75 between the plate 73 and the ceiling 14, and ports 89 and 9.0 establish communication between this last compartment and the compartments 46 and 47. The compartments 33 and 40113 also communicate with this last compartment. Suitably supported at the forward end of the compartment 19, adjacent the v upper corner thereof', is a `bea-m 91 carrying a housing 92'. In the housing92 there isa vertically extending par- '1j-.5 tition 93 that is spaced from the lower wall of the housing 92 to provide an opening 94 to establish communication between the main compartment 95 of the housing 92 and the passage 96 therein. rIhe passage 96 communicates with the'jjf.; forward end of the duct 74, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. A tray 97 is provided in the main compartment 95 and supports a block 98 of Dry Ice or the like, and the upper wall of the compartment 95 is closed by a plate 99. A vent 100 '315 opens through the front wall 7 of the body 6 and into the compartment 95 so that air may pass therethrough into said compartment. Air admitted into the compartment 95 will pass over the block of Dry Ice 98 or other refrigeratirlg2f-3v medium and will pass through the opening 94 into the passage 96 and into the duct 74. Passage of the air into the duct 74 is controlled by a damper 101 that may be arranged for manual or automatic operation, as desired, and this 1:3 damper is arranged forwardly of the openings 76 and 82. When Dry Ice is used as a refrigerating medium, the air passing thereover will be effectively cooled by reason of evaporation of the solid carbon dioxide which will gasify and mingle 133 with the air. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air and a mixture of air and carbon dioxide will therefore be heavier than ordinary air, and in addition this mixture will be effectively cooled and the temperature will be less than the temperature in 13.3 the compartment 19. The intermixed and cooled air and carbon dioxide will pass through the duct 74, and this intermixture will be hereinafter known as the cooling medium. Manifestly, the cooling medium adjacent the front end of j the duct 7'4 willr be cooler than that adjacent the rear end thereof. Since this is true, more of the cooling medium will need be emitted from the rear end of the duct 74 than from the forward end thereof, and this isv accomplished by 11.43 successively increasing the size of the openings in the direction ofthe rear end of the duct. The largest of the Vopenings is the opening 88 and, therefore, moreY of the cooling medium will pass out through this opening and into the compartments 33, 40, 46 and 47. Varied quantities of the cooling medium will pass through the openings 81 and 87, 80 and 86, 79 and 85, 78 and 84, and so on, and, therefore, more of the cooling medium will pass into the compartments 32 and 39 than will pass into the compartments 31 and 38, and similarly more of the medium will pass through the compartments 31 and 38 than will pass through the compartments 30 and 37. In this manner, an equalized distribution of the cooling medium with respect to the cooling properties thereof will be attained, and thus the compartment 19 will be substantially uniformly cooled throughout the area thereof. The compartments 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45 at the front end of the body 6 will receive a supply of cooling medium through the openings '76 and 82, and even though these openings supply cooling medium to more compartments than the others, their size need not be materially increased by reason of the fact that the cooling medium at this point will be much colder. It has been pointed out that the cooling medium is heavier than air and it will therefore ow downwardly. The cooling medium in this downward movement will effectively chill the plates 24 and 25 and other plates in and surrounding the compartment 19, and these chilled plates, which are preferably formed from a metal of high heat conductivity will, in turn, cool the compartment 19. It is, therefore, manifest that the cooling medium need not be introduced into the compartment itself and, therefore, when the usual door (not shown) is opened, the cooling medium will not escape. It has been pointed out that the openings into the duct 50 are increasingly larger toward the end thereof and, therefore, the cooling medium, which is circulated across the top of the compartment and down the sides thereof, may freely pass into the duct 50. The cooling medium, which passes through the compartments 41, 42, 43 and 44, will pass out through openings 102 into the compartments with which the openings 53 and 54 communicate and, therefore, the cooling medium -which has served to cool the compartment 19 will be collected in the duct 50. In View of the fact that air will be continually emitted through the vent and by reason of the weight of the cooling medium, this circulation into the duct 50 will be naturally brought about. Extending up through the front wall 7, in alignment with the duct 50. is a duct 103, the upper discharge end of which opens into the space 104 between the insulation 13 and the roof 12. The cooling medium emitted into this space will tend to spread over the area thereof and will form a blanket above the insulating material, and this blanket will aid insulation. Since the medium providing this blanket will still be cooler than the surrounding air, a cooling effect will result, and in this manner all of the cooling effect of the cooling 'medium is utilized. The cooling medium passing into the space 104 will be discharged through a vent 105 at the rear of the body 6, and it will be forced out through this vent by reason of the weight of the cooling medium just being introduced into the system.

It is manifest from the foregoing description that I have provided a circulating system wherein an equalized distribution of the cooling medium with respect to the cooling properties thereof may be attained, and I have arranged this device in such a manner that substantially all of the cooling effect of the cooling medium will be utilized.

` Further, by reason of the fact that the cooling medium is directed through passages defined by plates arranged in the cooling compartment, it is manifest that the cooling medium will not be Wasted by being permitted to escape from the compartment. Further, since the arrangement is such that itA may be disposed in a compartment, it is manifest that it may be used in connection with bodies of many different types of construction, and such utilization is intended to be within the purview of my invention.

While I have illustrated and described a selected embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification, and I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A body construction providing a compartment, ducts arranged outwardly of the upper and lower walls of said compartment, means for supporting a refrigerating medium adjacentto and communicating with the forward end of one of said'ducts, said ducts having openings therein of increasing size toward the rear end thereof, means providing passages about said compartment communicating with said ducts through said openings, and means providing an inlet to said supporting means whereby air may pass over the refrigerating medium therein to be cooled thereby to provide a cooling medium which may first pass through the duct communicating with said supporting means and then through said passages to be collected in the other of said ducts to be di'scharged therethrough from said body.

2. A body construction. providing a compartment, ducts arranged outwardly of the upper and lower walls of said compartment, means for supporting a refrigerating medium adjacent to and communicating with the forward end of one of said ducts, said ducts having openings therein of increasing size toward the rear end thereof, means providing passages about said compartment communicating with said ducts through said openings, and means providing an inlet to said supporting means whereby air may pass over the refrigerating means therein to be cooled thereby to provide a cooling medium which may rst pass through the duct communicating with said supi F porting a refrigerating medium adjacent to and communicating with the forward end of one of said ducts, said ducts having openings therein of increasing size toward the rear end thereof, means providing passages about said compartment communicating with said ducts through said openings, means providing an inlet to said supporting means whereby air may pass over the refrigerating means therein to be cooled thereby to provide a cooling medium which may rst pass through the duct communicating with said supporting means and then through said passages to be collected in the other of said ducts to be directed thereby to a passage arranged above said compartment whereby said cooling medium may pass isc rio

through said passage prior to discharge from said i v body, and adjustable means for controlling passage through the duct communicating Awith said supporting means.

4. A body construction including side, end, door and roof walls, partition walls spaced inwardly of the walls of said body construction and joined together to provide a compartment, refrigerant supporting means adapted to receive a refrigerant and having an inlet and an outlet whereby air iiowing thereinto through said inlet contacts with the refrigerant' to provide a refrigerating medium adapted to flow therefrom through said outlet, a duct leading from'said outlet and disposed on one of said partition walls, and means cooperating with the partition Walls and the adjacent walls of the body construction ,to provide independent passages about said compartment, smd duct having openings therein respectively communicating with said independent passages whereby the refrigerating medium iiow- ,ing into said duct from said outlet iows through said openings into said passages to cool said compartment.

5. A body construction including side, end, iioor and roof walls, partition walls spaced inwardly of the Walls of said body construction and joined together to provide a compartment, refrigerant supporting means adapted to receive a refrigerant and having an inlet and an outlet whereby air flowing thereinto through said inlet contacts with the refrigerant to provide a refrigerating medium adapted to flow therefrom through said outlet, a duct leading from said outlet and disposed on the partition wall spaced from said roof wall, means cooperating with the partition walls and the adjacent walls of the body construction to provide independent passages about said compartment, said duct havving openings therein respectively communicating with said independent passages whereby the re'- frigerating medium owing into said duct from said outlet flows through said openings into said passages to cool said compartment, and means common to and communicating with said independent passages for discharging said refrigerating medium after it has flowed through said passages and cooled said compartment.

6. A body construction including side, end, floor and roof walls, partition walls spaced inwardly of the walls of said body construction and joined together to provide a compartment, refrigerant supporting means adapted to receive a refrigerant and having an inlet and an outlet whereby air flowing thereintothrough said inlet contacts with the refrigerant to provide a refrigerating medium adapted to flow therefrom through said outlet, a duct leading from said outlet and disposed on the partition wall spaced from said roof wall, means cooperating with the partition walls and the adjacent walls of the body construction to provide independent passages `about said compartment,said`duct having openings therein respectively communicating with said independent passages whereby the refrigerating medium flowing into said duct from said outlet flows through said openings into said passages to cool said compartment, and a discharge duct positioned between said floor wall and the adjacent partition wall, said discharge duct having openings therein respectively communicating with said independent passages whereby the refrigerating medium iiows into said duct throughsaid openings to be discharged after it has flowed through said independent passages Vand cooled said compartment.l

7. A body construction including side, end, oor and roof walls, partition walls spaced inwardly of the wallsof said body construction and vjoined together to provide a comprartment, in-

the. medium flows through said duct and out of the openings therein into said independent passages from whence it iiows through the openings in the other duct into said other duct to be discharged.

8. A body construction including side, end, iioor and roof walls, partition walls spaced inwardly of the walls of said body construction and joined together to provide a compartment, insulating means disposed between said partition walls and the adjacent walls of said body construction, said insulating means being spaced from said roof wall to provide a passage intermediate said insulating means and said roof wall, ducts extending along the partition walls spaced from the iicor and roof walls of said body construction, means arranged between said in# sulating means and said partition walls and providing independent passages about said partition walls, said ducts having openings therein respec; tively communicating with said independent passages, means supplying a refrigerating medium to one of said ducts whereby the medium ows through said duct and out of the openings therein into said independent passages from whence it flows through the openings in the other duct into said other duct, and means connecting said other duct to said passage below saidroof wall whereby the refrigerating medium flows through said means to said passage below said roof wall to -be discharged to atmosphere. DANIEL W. VOLTZ. 

